Cranberry white Christmas cake is a stunning Christmas dessert! Featuring soft and tender white cake sandwiching layers upon layers of cranberry filling and ermine frosting. It's such a beautiful and delicious way to finish off a holiday meal!
I'm dreaming of a white.... Christmas cake! (I've been patting myself on the back for the past hour for coming up with that.)
Okay, but in all seriousness. Guys. This cake is SO GOOD. It's basically holiday season and pure joy in cake form. It tastes as good as it looks and looks as good as it tastes. It ALSO gets a lot of oohhs and aahhs. Plus, you can divide the prep between several days to make it easier and more manageable to make around the holidays!
what is white Christmas cake?
I really wanted to channel winter wonderland vibes with this cake! This cake has 3 main components (or 4 if you count the decorations):
- Cranberry filling: A simple, 3 ingredient cranberry filling adds a beautiful pop of red and some classic Christmas flavor to this cake. It's a fun little surprise when you cut into the cake to reveal those beautiful layers! I usually like to start by making the cranberry filling so it has time to fully cool before assembly time. You could use store-bought cranberry sauce if you prefer, but the homemade sauce is ridiculously easy to make.
- White cake: It wouldn't be much of a white Christmas cake without a white cake! If you're not familiar with it, white cake is essentially a type of vanilla cake, but it has a whiter finish due largely to the fact that it uses egg whites as opposed to whole eggs or yolks. So not only does the whole cake have a less yellow hue to it, but the egg whites also make the cake extra light and fluffy because it's not weighed down by the weight of the fat in the yolks. It's texture is very similar to a traditional birthday cake you'd find at a bakery.
- Ermine frosting: This is one of my all time favorite frostings because it kind of tastes like fluffy vanilla pudding! Ermine frosting is much less sweet than any other frosting out there and makes an amazing alternative if you find classic buttercream to be overly sweet. Ermine frosting gets its thickness and body from a cooked flour base (unlike other frostings which usually rely on powdered sugar to thicken them). Because of this cooked base, you don't need a lot of sugar to achieve the same level of thickness! It also has a consistency similar to whipped cream, but it's much more stable and won't deflate as it sits.
- Sugared cranberries and rosemary: This part is optional, but I love using sugared cranberries and rosemary to decorate Christmas treats! I have a full post on how to make them that you can find here.
how to make white Christmas cake
Make the cranberry sauce: Heat water and sugar on your stovetop until the sugar dissolves. Add in the cranberries then cook until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens to a jam consistency. Set aside to cool completely before using - I also like chilling the sauce for at least 1 hour before layering to make it easier to work with.
Make the cake: Start by creaming together butter, sugar, and oil. Whisk in the egg whites, followed by sour cream and vanilla. Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and milk mixed with vinegar until you have your batter. Divide the batter into your cake pans and bake.
Make the frosting: Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt to break up any large clumps, then slowly drizzle in the milk. Cook this mixture until it boils and thickens then pour into a bowl and cool COMPLETELY to room temperature. Once cooled, slowly whip it into room temperature butter to make the frosting.
how to layer & decorate white Christmas cake
The cakes will brown along the edges when they bake, so you can trim off the browned exterior once it's cooled if you'd prefer (I personally leave it on because it's my favorite part!) Level the cakes if needed, then slice each layer in half horizontally so you're left with a total of 4 cake layers.
Lay one cake layer onto your serving board then spread on a layer of the frosting. I find about ½ a cup of frosting between each layer is perfect. Spread some cranberry sauce evenly on top, leaving a roughly ½ inch boarder around the edges so the sauce doesn't spill out the sides.
Lay a second cake layer on top. After laying the next cake, I like to take a bit of frosting and spread it around the sides of the cake, focusing on the seam where the 2 layers of cake meet. It doesn't need to be perfect! This is just to cover any holes that could potentially cause the cranberry sauce to push out from. Next, spread more frosting on the top layer of cake followed by cranberry sauce.
Repeat the layering process until all the cake layers are stacked. If at any point you feel the layers slipping and sliding, pause and pop the cake into the fridge for about 30 minutes or until it's firm enough to work with again.
Once the cake is fully layered, spread a very thin coat of frosting on the outside to create a crumb coat. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes or until the outside layer of frosting has firmed up. This will make it a lot easier to frost properly!
Use the leftover frosting to frost and decorate the outside of the cake. I personally used a fork to make a little pattern in the side of the cake and then topped with a sprinkling of sparkling sugar and some sugared cranberries & rosemary. But you can really get creative with the decorations and do whatever you like!
storage and make ahead tips:
The holidays can be a bit hectic (ok, a lot hectic!) so make ahead recipes are always welcome! You can walk through a lot of the steps for this recipe to make it up to 3 months in advance.
For the cranberry sauce, you can make it and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the cranberry sauce in the fridge overnight or on your countertop for a few hours before using.
For the white cake layers, if you don't plan on assembling it within 2 days, I recommend freezing the layers. Wrap each layer separately in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for a MAXIMUM of 3 months - any longer and the cakes can lose their moisture and flavor.
I actually love assembling this cake frozen because the cake layers are just a million times easier to work with when they're firm! So I usually don't bother defrosting them - I assemble the layers as normal and let the stacked cake defrost on its own at room temperature (for about 1 hour) or in the fridge (overnight).
The ermine frosting is the only step that I prefer to make the same week that I want to assemble the cake, just because I find that frostings don't thaw very well. You can make the flour/milk base up to 1 week in advance and keep it stored in the fridge. Once you're ready to make the frosting, let the base come up to room temperature before whipping it into the butter.
check out these other Christmas recipes!
• BEST Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Cinnamon Roll Cookies
• Mini Cranberry Mousse Cakes
• Giant Sugar Cookie Cake
• Candy Cane Cookies
• MOIST Maple Cake
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
Print
Cranberry White Christmas Cake
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings (approx.)
Description
This stunning white Christmas cake features a soft and tender white cake, sandwiching layers upon layers of cranberry filling and ermine frosting!
Ingredients
For the cranberry sauce:
- 1 cup (240mL) water
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 4 cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen*
For the white cake:
- 2 & ¾ cups (360g) cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) vegetable oil
- 1 & ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract**
- ½ cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120mL) whole milk, at room temperature
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
For the ermine frosting:
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup (82g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (480mL) whole milk
- 2 cups (450g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the cranberry sauce:
- In a large pot, combine water and sugar. Place over medium-high heat and warm until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Carefully drop your cranberries into the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce thickens to a jam-like consistency (this should take about 8 to 10 minutes but can take up to 20 minutes depending on your stove). If the mixture starts splattering, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil.
- Pour your cranberry sauce into a heat safe bowl, and set aside to cool completely to room temperature. Chill for at least 1 hour or until firmed up before using.
Make the white cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8 or 9") round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. I used 8" pans for slightly thicker cakes. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, and sugar. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment, beat the ingredients together until the mixture has lightened in color (about 1-2 minutes on medium speed).
- Add the egg whites to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed for another 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Add in your sour cream and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Mix about half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and vinegar then mix it into the batter.
- Add in the remaining half of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and streak free. Take care not to overmix! A few lumps in the batter are normal.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between your 2 prepared cake pans. Bake in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes (for 9" cakes) or 32 to 38 minutes (for 8" cakes). To test if the cakes are done, a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cakes for about 10 minutes in the pans. Then turn onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
- (Optional) I also like to wrap the cakes with plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer for about 1 hour before frosting to make assembly easier!
Make the ermine frosting:
- In a medium saucepot, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
- Gradually pour the milk into your sugar/flour mixture, whisking constantly to avoid clumps, until fully incorporated. You shouldn't have any major clumps, but if you do, just run your mixture through a fine mesh strainer to avoid consistency issues with the frosting later on.
- Place your pot over medium-low heat. Cook the milk mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture boils and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Don't try to rush this! It can lead to undissolved sugar and flour which will create a clumpy frosting! This will take about 10 minutes total - but again, it depends on your stove.
- Pour your milk base into a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface to prevent skin from forming. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature before using.
- In a large bowl, add in your butter. Using an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the cooled milk base to your butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Make sure each addition of the milk base is fully incorporated before moving onto the next one. Again, don't try to rush this or the frosting will separate. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl after about half of the milk base is added in and again once it's all mixed in to make sure everything is getting evenly combined.
- Add your vanilla in and beat until fully incorporated. The mixture should be light and fluffy - almost like a mix between whipped cream and buttercream.
Layering and decorating!
- Level off the cakes if needed. The cakes will have browned along the edges, so if you'd like, you can also trim them off to give the cake a whiter finish. I personally LOVE the edges so I left them on!
- Slice each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers then place 1 layer on your serving platter.
- Spread a very thin layer of frosting over the surface of the cake. Top with about ⅓ of the cranberry sauce and spread evenly over the frosting, leaving a roughly ½ inch border around the edges.
- Lay a second cake layer on top. Repeat the layering process of cake, frosting, then cranberry sauce until all cake layers are stacked. If at any point you find the cake is slipping and sliding around, pause and pop it into the fridge to firm up enough to continue.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting on the outside of the cake to create a crumb coat.
- Chill the cake for about 30 minutes or until the outside frosting feels firm. Frost and decorate the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- (Optional) Decorate the cake with sugared cranberries & rosemary before enjoying!
- You can slice and serve the cake right away or refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour beforehand for cleaner slices.
Notes
* If using fresh cranberries, wash and drain well before cooking. If using frozen cranberries, add straight to the pot without defrosting. Frozen cranberries may take slightly longer to cook due to the added moisture they have.
** Clear vanilla extract is always artificial. The reason I use clear is solely for aesthetic purposes (clear vanilla will not add any additional brown tint to the cake, which helps it keep as "white" as possible). If you don't mind the slight coloring, pure vanilla extract is perfectly fine to use instead.
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Enjoy!
Mary says
I am so excited to make this for Christmas Day, which I will be spending either my son and his in-laws. His mother-in-law has this fabulous cranberry sauce recipe that her mother and grandmother made and I want to use that for the filling. How much cranberry sauce does the recipe call for? How much do you have after cooking down the your recipe for the cranberry sauce? Thanks so much. They will love that this was made with their family recipe.
Mimi says
Hi Mary! Mine cooks down to 2 cups so that's about how much you'll need. I hope you love it and have a very Merry Christmas! ❤️🎄
Danielle says
When I saw this cake on Instagram I knew I had to make it. It is so beautiful. I’m a novice home baker and even though the recipe is multi step, it was not difficult. The cake itself baked up light and fluffy and gorgeous. I wasn’t going to make the ermine frosting but am glad I did. I like learning new techniques and it was something I’d never heard of. I also enjoyed making the sugared decorations. My cake was not as beautiful as the one pictured but it came together very well and I was proud of it. My husband has requested that I save the recipe to make again❤️ Thank you!!
Anna says
Can you make the frosting ahead of time or will it not store well over night?
Jill says
Do you think this cake recipe could be transferable to a swiss roll cake?
Mimi says
I haven't personally tried, but I don't think it would make a great Swiss roll just because it would likely crack! ❤️
Susan Gumpel Wilson says
Never ate anything as good I will make it every year . Guests asking for it again this year!